I remember when I was little, it was so exciting to go to grandma and grandpa's for the weekend. They were the quintessential Italian grandparents, always there with amazing homemade Italian food, bread to feed the fishes in the pond out back and would give us treats we normally wouldn't get at home. Remember that warm, loving, safe feeling? All I can say is this one trip down memory lane you may not want to remember!
The Visit, the latest grim tale from award-winning writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable) and producer Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, Insidious series, The Purge), is set to be released in theaters nationwide September 11. Tonight I had the privilege of watching an advance screening in Seattle and I give it a big thumbs up! Before I delve into my review, just take a moment to peruse these three simple rules...then be afraid! Be very, very afraid!
Grandma's rules might just send you over the edge:
1. Have a great time
2. Eat as much as you want
3. Don't leave your room after 9:30 p.m.
I'll reiterate...PLEASE do not leave your room after 9:30 p.m.!
The Premise:
A single mom (Kathryn Hahn) estranged from her parents, finally allows her aspiring director 15 year old daughter Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and hipster 13 year old son Tyler (Ed Oxenbould), to visit grandma and grandpa for the first time. Being a budding young filmmaker, Becca decides to make a documentary of the trip, as well as attempt to uncover the real reason behind her mother's abrupt departure from home at the age of nineteen, refusing to return or maintain contact with her parents again. As the story unfolds, we learn why Becca and Tyler have some quirks of their own and the reasons behind their divided feelings about their father, who left his family for another woman. Needless to say, the underlying drama allows the audience to connect to the characters on an emotional level and actually care about them.
The cinematography of the landscape and the centuries old, sprawling farm house in the middle of nowhere pulls the audience in, to not only visually see the isolation but also feel it. No Internet, no cell phone reception, no television. The only link to the outside world is via brief Skype conversations with their mother while on a week-long cruise with her boyfriend. I couldn't do it! I admit I'm addicted to my phone and the Internet! LOL
Of course upon laying eyes on the remote location you just know something creepy is going to happen! What would you do if grandparents you never met before had some strange, macabre and disturbing behavior once the sun goes down? Is it because they're old, have dementia or is there something more sinister to it? In true classic Shyamalan form, he strings you along like a puppeteer as some unsettling, frightening and dark behavior from Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) immediately emerge in the dead of night!
It has a real Blair Witch Project type feel as Becca and Tyler shoot the documentary, which at times we see from their point of view. Obviously Blum's fingerprints are all over, reminiscent of Paranormal Activity upon the idea to covertly capture what's going on after 10:00 p.m. What ensues will send chills up your spine!
I'd say DeJonge and Oxenbould really stole the show. They were fantastic, doling out humor throughout the film, then just the right amount of fear so it wasn't over-the-top (though Nana and Pop Pop are at times) and make the audience want to join their journey to uncover the truth. Though there are typical pop up scares, the one that got me the most was the bedroom scene between Becca and Nana. I don't want to spoil it for you, but might I suggest sleeping with the lights on when you get home?
All in all, I'd say compared to my number one and two Shyamalan favorites The Sixth Sense and Signs, for me The Visit ranks in the number three spot with an A-. I liked it enough that I really want to see it again and movie goers who love mystery-thrillers, mixed with humor and a twist on the side, will leave the theater feeling like they've just been on an emotional roller-coaster ride!
The Visit will be released by Universal Pictures nationwide September 11, 2015. Be sure to follow The Visit on Facebook, Twitter, use #TheVisitMovie and check out the website for more information about the film.
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